Lung Cancer
What is Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer occurs when the cells in your lungs change because of damage caused by smoking, exposure to toxic pollution, or other factors. Changes, or mutations, to your cells can cause a tumor to form.
There are two main forms of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLC is much more common. SCLC tends to grow faster and spread to other parts of the body.
Doctors use stages to describe how serious lung cancer is. The stages are numbered from 0 to 4. The higher the stage, the worse the cancer is.
Like living with COPD, living with lung cancer can be physically and emotionally difficult for you and your loved ones. There are a lot of resources, including support groups, that can help you cope with diagnosis and manage day-to-day.
In This Article:
What Causes Lung Cancer?
The most common risk factor for lung cancer is smoking. But lung cancer can also affect people who have never smoked before. Other causes include:
- Radiation
- Asbestos
- Indoor and outdoor air pollution
- Having a family history of lung cancer
Diagnosing Lung Cancer
Early signs of lung cancer may show up in a physical exam, like swollen lymph nodes, weak breathing, facial swelling, or abnormal sounds in the lungs, among other symptoms.
If your provider suspects you could have lung cancer, he or she will order an x-ray, which can see whether there are any nodules (or unusual spots) on the lungs. An x-ray can't tell everything though, so doctors will usually order other tests like a CT scan or PET-CT scan. A CT or PET-CT scan can create a clearer picture of what is happening in the body and if there are any active cancer cells.
You may also be given a biopsy, which is when your doctor will take a small sample of body tissue for examination, and that can confirm what kind of lung cancer you have. It’s important to know what kind of lung cancer you have because it determines your treatment.
Treating Lung Cancer
Treatment for lung cancer depends on the type and stage of the cancer. Different treatments also have different side effects, so your healthcare provider will also take into account your general level of health and any concerns you have.
Treatment options include:
- Surgery: Surgery can remove any cancerous tumors and the cells around them. It's often the best way to treat non-small-cell lung cancer before the cancer has spread
- Radiation: Radiation uses high-energy x-rays to destroy tumors. It can also relieve some of the side effects of lung cancer
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy can be delivered through an IV or a pill and is used to kill cancer cells. Your provider will help you decide what kind of chemotherapy is best for you
- Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy uses your body's own immune system to find and kill off cancer cells
There are many other medicines that can be used to treat lung cancer. Your provider will talk to you about the best regimen for you.
How Lung Cancer Affects COPD
COPD is a risk factor for developing lung cancer. Early diagnosis and treatment for COPD is important for early detection of lung cancer risk. Lung cancer screening is a key part of early detection because if caught early, the likelihood of survival improves.
If you’ve been diagnosed with lung cancer, it’s important to continue your COPD management and take your medication as prescribed. You and your provider will discuss what options are available following your lung cancer diagnosis.
A diagnosis of lung cancer can be emotionally difficult. Therapy, support groups, and other resources can help you and your loved ones cope— your healthcare provider and your Wellinkscoach can help connect you to these resources.
What You Can Do Today
- Ask your healthcare provider if you should get a lung cancer screening test—especially if you are between the ages of 50-80 and a current or recent smoker.
- Talk to your healthcare provider and Wellinkscoach about ways to stop smoking
- Attend all physical appointments and check-ups
- Continue getting your routine CT scans, as directed by your healthcare provider, to keep an eye on lung nodules
- Talk to your healthcare provider and Wellinkscoach about support groups. The American Lung Association also has links to emotional support resources: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/living-with-lung-cancer
Resources
https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer
https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/lung-cancer-intro.pdf
https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/living-with-lung-cancer